Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/698304
PULSE July 2016 | Overdrive | 3 By Max Heine Editorial director a policeman in Warren, Pa., was too aggressive with a DeLullo driver, and the driver, due to prior stresses with a DOT check, was too impatient. The driver received two out-of-service violations. DeLullo says the officer later "told me the driver 'wasn't nice.' And I said, well, this is how this works, I guess. This isn't about safe- ty. This is about just how nice you can be." In the final analysis, he says, "In order to con- quer things, you have to have a two-way working relationship," one that's just not there at this point between the industry and law enforcement. "The end result – when you go to the store 10 years down the road, everything's going to cost more." Via OverdriveOnline.com: "The overall problems are pretty much as stated, but in the case of his driver not being nice, I think we have all seen our share of times when the attitude of the driver was the cause of the difficulties with the DOT. And before you all jump down my throat, I agree that a driv- er's attitude should not make a difference, but we all know that it does. And every driver that goes into a scale or has to suffer through an inspection knows that his or her attitude matters to these people, so why make it worse?" — Rob 379 "An inspector told me that he could put a brand-new truck out-of-service anytime. ... When dealing with this mentality, we are doomed unless we finally wake up and get to our elected representa- tives and make concerns known, again and again!! — Rc1234 T he subject of our cover story, Brita Nowak, knows about taking risks. She left her native Germany to work as an actress in Hollywood. Unlike most of the countless pretty faces who try the same thing, she succeeded for years. Then she got her CDL, learned the ropes as a company driver, and soon took the leap of running under her own authority. Living in Ju- piter, Florida, she was having trouble find good loads out of the Sunshine State in the summer. She saw one going to New York, learned it was headed to Manhattan's Chinatown, declined it, then reconsidered. "So I called back again, and she said, 'Well, if you're uncomfortable, it's alright,' " Nowak told my colleague, Deanne Winslett. " 'Many, many people already called on this load, and they all said the same thing that you did.' … Maybe that's what it was, what made me take it. If everybody said no, guess what? Then I'm going to say yes." Navigating Manhattan was not easy, but Nowak fell in love with the challenge. Later, she was asked to take on the run as a dedicated route. She agreed. "It's still scary, and that's good," Nowak said. "It should always be scary to me. That's how you survive and how you don't let your guard down. I love that run." Nowak's example is a great one, especially for independents trying to find new business. Trucking radio host and former small-fleet owner Kevin Rutherford, a long-time present- er at Overdrive's Partners in Business seminars, has made the same point. It also came up at Rutherford's recent Certified Master Contractor training, when podcaster and small-fleet owner Kenny Long recounted what he's learned from operating with his own authority. The common approach to choosing loads is to spot the high rates and be the first to call, he said. But every independent knows the frustra- tion of being quick to dial, only to get a busy signal. Instead, Long recommended, look for the load that's been sitting too long – and try to figure out why. "I want that problem load," he said. It's one way to stand out, earn respect and, as Nowak learned, get a call back from someone who appreciates your willingness to embrace a challenge. There are many skills to master in any entrepreneurial effort, but don't overlook the skills of building your reputation and developing relationships. Ultimately it's people who give you opportunities and hand over checks. "We deal with people," Long said. "Transportation is second." The 'problem load' " If everybody said no, guess what? Then I'm going to say yes. " — Independent Brita Nowak